The Infamous Cults Quiz

Some cults promote harsh conservative judgment; some are more into free love and spaceships. Others are incredibly dangerous, harming their own members and innocent people. With this quiz, we'll see how much you really know about infamous cults.

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Question 1 of 30

What is the name of the cult that believes humans were created by aliens called Elohim, who pretended to be angels when they appeared in the past?

Heaven's Gate

Raëlism

Raëlism began in the 1970s and is often associated with claims that they can clone humans and an attitude of very liberal sexuality.

Shining Path

Question 2 of 30

The Brethren, founded by Jimmie T. Roberts, disallows members from using modern conveniences and forbids children from…

speaking

looking at members of the opposite sex

playing

The Brethren believe all celebration should be saved for the imminent return of Jesus Christ (which has been imminent since the 1970s), so the kids can't play.

Question 3 of 30

Which cult is known for its mass weddings, with hundreds of couples married simultaneously in huge ceremonies?

the Branch Davidians

the Sign of the Moon

the Unification Church

Members of the Unification Church are sometimes called "Moonies" because of their association with founder Sun Myung Moon.

Question 4 of 30

What did the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God predict would happen on March 17, 2000?

The Virgin Mary would come to Earth and carry the cult's members to Heaven.

When Mary did not arrive, the cult leaders caused explosions and fires that killed hundreds of cult members.

The Earth would be destroyed by God's vengeance.

Israel would declare war on the U.S.

Question 5 of 30

What is it called when the loved ones of a cult member arrange to have that person kidnapped away from the cult and retrained for cult-free life?

decultification

deprogramming

Deprogramming is a controversial activity that isn't always successful.

re-education

Question 6 of 30

Which cult engaged in a practice of recruiting new members by sending women members out to have sex with them, something they called "Flirty Fishing?"

the Children of God

The Children of God ran into trouble both because of sexually transmitted diseases and for their publications which promoted child-adult sexual activity.

Heaven's Gate

the People's Temple

Question 7 of 30

The People's Temple massacre occurred in what South American nation?

Guyana

The People's Temple commune in Guyana, called Jonestown, was the site of the massacre.

Brazil

Uruguay

Question 8 of 30

How many people died in the People's Temple Jonestown massacre?

918

918 people died, the worst cult-based massacre in U.S. history.

1212

233

Question 9 of 30

What cyanide-laced substance was given to the People's Temple members to facilitate the Jonestown massacre?

grape Kool-Aid

The incident gave rise to the phrase, "drinking the Kool-Aid," often used to mean, "believing in something because someone told you to."

orange Gatorade

Pepsi

Question 10 of 30

Leo Ryan was shot by People's Temple guards while attempting to investigate Jonestown. What government position did he hold?

U.S. ambassador to Guyana

Congressman

Congressman Ryan is the only member of the House of Representatives to be assassinated while in office.

FBI investigator

Question 11 of 30

What did the Aum Shinrikyo cult use to attack the Tokyo subway system in 1995?

radioactive materials

sarin gas

The sarin gas attack killed 13.

AK-47 assault rifles

Question 12 of 30

What does Aum Shinrikyo mean when translated into English?

Supreme Truth

Translation is tricky since the cult's founder combined Sanskrit and Japanese to create the name, but Supreme Truth is the generally accepted translation.

Eternal Shrine

Fire of Heaven

Question 13 of 30

Cults preoccupied with preparing for the end of the world are often known as…

doomsday cults

Doomsday cultists sometimes believe only they will be spared in the coming apocalypse, but cults have also committed mass suicide when they thought the world would end.

New Testament cults

revisionist cults

Question 14 of 30

What federal agency conducted the final assault on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas in 1993?

the Department of Homeland Security

the FBI

Although the initial raid on the Branch Davidians was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the final assault which set the compound on fire was conducted by the FBI.

the National Guard

Question 15 of 30

Who was the leader of the Branch Davidian cult?

Francois Davide

David Koresh

Koresh, who was born Vernon Howell, took over the cult in the 1980s.

Lucas David Davidson

Question 16 of 30

What terrorist attack was conducted on the anniversary of and inspired by the Branch Davidian Waco raid?

Columbine massacre

1993 World Trade Center bombing

Oklahoma City bombing

The Oklahoma City bombing targeted a building that housed federal agencies as revenge for the Waco incident.

Question 17 of 30

What doomsday cult believed they were descended from the Knights Templar and died in a series of mass murder/suicides in the 1990s?

Ramtha

Order of the Solar Temple

The Solar Temple's members believed their leader was Christ and that they'd go to another planet when they died.

Oahspe Faithists

Question 18 of 30

What phrase did Charles Manson use to describe the apocalyptic race war he foresaw?

Revelation

Helter Skelter

Manson took the phrase from the Beatles song "Helter Skelter;" one of the cultists wrote it in blood at one of the murder scenes.